Harry's Day of Mistakes
by JosephPotter
Summary: Harry attempts to ask Ginny out in a less than subtle manner
1. Harry's Day of mistakes

It had taken Harry all day long to muster up his courage to ask Ginny out on a date. No, it had taken Harry a month to muster the courage to ask Ginny out. His marks in school were sinking, the time he spent with his friends was limited and his nights were tortured, yet at the same time pleasured, by thoughts of her. When had he fallen for her? That little fireball had appeared out of nowhere and turned from a mere flame off of a match into a wall of fire, blocking Harry from everything else he loved in his life. Harry desired the days of his second year so badly, when it was Ginny who was blushing at their every eye contact, instead of the other way around. How could Harry be so blind at the time? How did he not see the girl that now he could not evict from his mind? Every night Harry went to bed, an aching in his body and in his mind, a longing to hold her tight to his chest, the need to stroke that burning red hair.  
  
He heard a commotion by the stairwell but it was only a couple of first- year muggles being amazed by the fact that pictures moved. Harry had finally taken up a stand on Ginny, deciding that he would ask her out on a short "date" if it could even be called that, to the Three Broomsticks. This year, Harry was being tested to his max. Having to deal with normal Hogwarts life was hard enough, but now Harry spent every day worrying that Voldemort or at least one of his supporters was going to infiltrate the castle, probably through the staff, and try to murder him. It was quite likely for it had happened all four years that Harry had been at Hogwarts so far. But this was worse than Quirrel, Riddle, that sniveling traitor Wormtail or even the great Lord Voldemort himself. This was Ginny.  
  
A short scream upstairs frightened Harry out of his mind. He recognized it as Ginny's. He leapt to his feet and prepared to leap up the stairs, but realized that it was just a playful scream, probably the other girls tickling her or something. Harry was almost ready to go check, but realized that he would be the craziest fool in Gryffindor if he did. He thought he heard footsteps, but then realized that it was the pounding of his heart. Things like this had been happening far too often to Harry. He had become overly protective of Ginny now that he cared about her. Over the summer, while they flew around at the burrow, Harry saw Ginny falling off her broom and rushed to catch her on his firebolt, but she had not even lost her grip. Another time, a group of Slytherins had purposefully bumped into Ginny, knocking her books out of her arms. When they turned the corner Harry threatened them and said that he would kill them if they ever tried to touch Ginny again.  
  
Harry knew that these responses were completely irrational but he could not help it. He had definitely fallen for Ginny. Finally Ginny came downstairs. Naturally she came flanked by the other girls. Harry absolutely despised their pack movements. This almost shut Harry down from his attack, but by some twisted chance, Hermione called her over to her armchair to pick up a paper or something or other.  
  
Harry knew that this was his one chance he could strike, the one chance he could ask her. Harry stood up, almost slamming his shaking hands at his side. "Uh...Ginny?" Harry started. Ginny turned to him and smiled. GOD WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DO THAT? Harry almost screamed aloud.  
  
"Yes Harry?" Harry did not respond for a moment, still trying to bring himself out of another fantasy about her. "Gin, I need t-to talk t-to you," Harry sputtered out.  
  
Ginny smiled and nodded then turned to her friends. "I'll be right with you guys, just go on ahead." The flock moved on to go to Hogsmeade. Well that was one point for Harry. "You were saying?"  
  
What was he saying? He had lost all his attack approach when she had smiled. He hated himself. With no plan whatsoever, Harry just laid out his emotions. "Ginny, I love you." Harry wanted to smack himself. After all of his time of planning, all his "brilliant" ideas, that was what he came up with. Voldemort was beginning to sound very good right now. Ginny was shocked to say the least. Harry could no longer feel his hand shaking, it had gone numb. His legs were now jelly.  
  
SMACK! Ginny's hand went across his face and she stormed off, her face burning. Harry knew he deserved it, knew he had been rude, selfish and completely stupid. It was all over. The battle was lost. Harry could hardly keep his legs standing him, so he collapsed in an armchair. He saw Hermione getting up and coming over. Just what he needed. To be told how much of a failure he was by miss perfect. But Hermione was not rude or insulting to Harry.  
  
"Harry, what happened? Are you all right? That looked like it hurt." Harry knew the answer to all of these questions.  
  
"Well. I told Ginny I loved her. She slapped me. Yes, it hurt, but not physically." Harry's heart was torn into a thousand pieces. How was this possible? He was such a fool.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"How could Harry do that to me?" Ginny said aloud as she walked to Hogsmeade, tears flowing down her face. Ginny didn't know how she felt really; she just knew she was upset. How could he be so flat and straight out? "That no good piece of..." Ginny didn't know a good enough word to describe how she felt about Harry. Her heart was still racing, she was actually afraid she would have a heart attack or suddenly just run short of breath and die. "That might be better for me."  
  
Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter had just declared his love to her. Most witches would love for this to happen. Didn't she want it to happen? Hadn't she been the one in her first-year peering around corners, blushing madly? But still! She hadn't had time to seriously think about Harry and her emotions towards him. It was just a little crush. Not a full scale love!  
  
She had seen in the past few months that he had made her more of his friend, showing the same kind of protective feelings for her. Now that she thought about it, he had been overprotective of her. He was always watching out for her, making sure nothing bad could happen to her. Why that little prat! Who was he to throw this on her? Just to declare love and get it off of his chest. He was truly inconsiderate. A little voice popped inside her mind. But don't you love him too? Ginny stopped dead to think about it.  
  
That crush HAD developed now that she knew Harry better. And she was extremely happy any time she was around him. Suddenly she didn't feel so well, so she hurried off to the Three Broomsticks to meet her friends, who were no doubt going to tell him that he was so terrible and then so wonderful and then a little prat and then a romantic... "But that's what friends are for." Ginny smiled for the first time since the encounter.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Harry still felt as if he had been shot out in to space, being torn apart and unable to breathe. He had no more energy in him and if one of his enemies were to walk into the room at this point, Harry wouldn't even care. He would rather die than suffer this pain. Not only had he hurt himself, but more importantly he had hurt Ginny. He could not stand the thought of being put on the spot like that, but he had so freely done it to Ginny not a long while ago. He was a complete jerk and a fool.  
  
It seemed to be in his nature to hurt those he loved. Every time he faced against one of his enemies, he always somehow lost someone or hurt someone. First it was his parents, then it was Ron, then it was Hermione and all the others who were hurt during the episode with Riddle. Then he had lost Remus as a teacher and technically lost Sirius and Buckbeak had Hermione not had the time turner. And of course there was Cedric. Harry flinched at the thought.  
  
Now he had hurt Ginny, cut her so deep it would probably leave a mark on her for the rest of her life. Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He leapt up past Hermione upstairs to the door and yelled "Accio Firebolt!" The broom snapped into his hand and he leapt from his room's window, dropping to the ground. Unluckily, Professor McGonagall was outside taking a walk and he sped right into her.  
  
McGonagall leapt and furiously screamed "Harry Potter get off that broomstick now!" Harry heeded her words and leapt from the broomstick. Now he would look like a fool carrying it, but once again, luck was in his favor. Ron walked out of the door.  
  
"Ron! Fancy a go on my Firebolt?" Harry tossed it to the surprised Weasley, who looked ready to die. Rushing off Harry ignored McGonagall's angry calls. Arriving at Hogsmeade, he dashed to the Three Broomsticks. Ginny was already inside, no doubt talking to her girlfriends about his terrible actions.  
  
Not wanting to make any further of a fool of himself, Harry slipped in behind a taller wizard and used him as cover until he reached Ginny's table. "Ginny, please let me talk to you," Harry said in a calm and composed voice, though he was still panting from his run to the village. Ginny looked to the other girls but none of them gave her any signals or hints as to what to do.  
  
"All right," Ginny said with more than a hint of dislike. Harry allowed her to pass him and the two of them moved out of the Three Broomsticks. Ginny stared at him with those flaming eyes. This was NOT a good idea! Harry thought to himself.  
  
"Ginny, I came back to say I'm sorry. I know it was completely selfish of me to just put you on the spot like that and it is entirely my fault." Ginny continued to stare. "It's just..." Harry was getting nowhere with this. "I do love you Ginny. I've fallen completely and utterly in love with you." Here we go again, thought Harry. "Everything about you is just so perfect, you always make me feel good when I am around you. I know I deserve every punishment in the world for doing this twice but I had to at least make sure you were okay. I didn't mean to hurt you." Ginny stood still for a minute.  
  
"You don't know what love is Harry." Ginny walked back inside. Harry felt like he had just been shot by a horde of arrows into a flaming pit. Harry collapsed against the wall. There was no more feeling in Harry. For no reason whatsoever, Harry headed back to Hogwart's where he retrieved his Firebolt from a bewildered yet satisfied Ron. Harry shot off into the air to look for trouble.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"You did what Gin?" the other girls stared in amazement. This was something truly amazing. "You just told Harry Potter... whoa." That was basically the epitome of Ginny's life for the next ten minutes. Ginny, however, wasn't listening. Now she had hurt Harry. And now she knew she cared about him too. He may have been a complete fool with words, but everyone has their drawbacks. His protectiveness over her, his cool, everything about him, Ginny suddenly knew felt a sudden rush of guilt. She couldn't believe what she had just done.  
  
Her heart ached and her throat went dry. While her friends congratulated her on her "success" as they believed it was, Ginny could hardly hold back tears. Finally, the other girls noticed this. "Ah, don't worry. You're too good for him." Ginny couldn't take this anymore. She stormed outside to get some time alone.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Harry didn't know where he was flying to, he was just looking for a fight to get into. He couldn't stand living anymore and just wanted to die. For a moment he wondered if it would be suicide if he just fell off his broom, but came to the conclusion that it would be. After an hour or so of flight, Harry swooped down. He had seen a muggle town nearby and knew that lots of Muggles were heavy drinkers. He could probably get in a good fight there. No magic of course. If he had magic he might win.  
  
Harry left his broom and wand with a nearby innkeeper, which startled the man nearly to death. Harry told him an extra big payload was coming his way if he would just keep his mouth shut. Walking into the local pub, he was immediately noticed for how short he was. Hopefully this would lead to the men picking on him sooner or later.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After a short bit more thinking and socializing (as well as heavy drinking), Ginny rushed back to Hogwarts to talk to Harry and apologize for how stupid and blind she was. But when she arrived, there was already quite a commotion about. Professor McGonagall was hurriedly rushing around, her skin as white as snow. She rushed over to Ron who seemed shocked and amazed. "What's wrong Ron?"  
  
Ron jumped for a second, having to first be snapped out of his trance. "Oh Ginny. It's horrible."  
  
"What has there been another attack?" Ron shook his head.  
  
"No. Harry's disappeared. I gave him back his Firebolt three hours ago and he shot off. We haven't seen him since."  
  
Ginny exploded. "You haven't seen him since? You just let him go? You have no idea where he is? He could be anywhere! I cant believe you little twits! I hate you Ron!" Ron was completely shocked at this as Ginny stormed off. This day had been too much for Ginny. She didn't want to talk to anyone, now she just wanted Harry safe and sound, back with her.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Harry was beginning to like the idea of dying less and less. It was kind of pointless now that he thought about it. Harry chugged down another pint. Maybe it was good to die, Harry thought. No, that was just the alcohol hitting in. "Speakin a which... hows a means a payin fer all this?" the bartender asked.  
  
"You want a couple... gold? Gringotts... has..." Harry could hardly speak anymore.  
  
"Fine kid, you come in and get drunk you got to pay the price. Go to the back room and rest up. We got some nice work fer you to do here." Harry lunged at the man, punching him square across the face. All around him, the rest of the customers swung around to restrain Harry. Harry tried to hit them too, but he was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ginny couldn't stand waiting any longer. She had to go out and find Harry. While the Slytherins were taking a break from their Quidditch practice, Ginny stole Harry's Invisibility cloak along with Draco Malfoy's Nimbus 2001. As she left, she saw that at the gates were Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore himself. She snuck by, knowing full well that Dumbledore could see her. "No, Professor, I don't think ANY of the Weasley children will be able to tell us where Harry is," Dumbledore said smiling.  
  
Ginny moved quickly past the two of them, and sped off into the air. She had no clue where to look, but felt that she was being guided. She could almost feel where Harry was. After countless hours, she dove down to where she felt his presence, though it was severely weakened.  
  
She stopped at a local Inn to leave her stolen broom. "What is it tonight with these brooms?" Ginny took this to be a good sign. Covered by the invisibility cloak, she snuck into what appeared to be a muggle pub.  
  
There were only a few customers left, and the bartender was tending to a wound on his face. "Darn kid. Don't know what I said. Hope I didn't offend him. Course he was drunk..." Ginny knew this had to be Harry. With no worry of being seen, she walked back to the room where Harry was, and shut the door as if the wind had blown it.  
  
Taking off the invisibility cloak, she stared at Harry, who looked like quite a mess. "You know, for the defeater of you-know-who, you look like crap." Harry awoke.  
  
"G-ginny? Wh-?" Ginny covered his mouth with her hand.  
  
"Rest Harry." She bent down and gently kissed him on the lips, and he fell into a calm, cool sleep. 


	2. Suffering the consequences

Ch2  
  
Harry awoke with a sudden start, his head throbbing and a loud ringing in his ears. Harry realized he couldn't see and stuck his hands out to reach for his glasses. The noise blasted into his ears again and he put his hands to his ears. The sound stopped and he begin his search for his glasses again. But the ringing continued, the multiple deep sounds becoming a terrible cacophony to his ears.  
  
"Wh-where am I?" Harry asked more to himself than anything else, but his own voice too blended and boomed with the cacophony. Harry couldn't remember where he was or where he had been, but he remembered that his name was Harry. Harry… something. The noise, no, Harry could now tell it was another voice, echoed into Harry's ears, but Harry could only discern the vowels.  
  
A searing pain flashed into Harry's head and he began to remember everything. He remembered Ginny, his confessions to her, her rejections and his childish attempt to escape from the pains of life. That was the worst part of it all. He had been drunk. That explained everything except for where he was.  
  
The last thing he remembered was Ginny's face, the most beautiful thing that Harry had ever seen, a light pulling him back from the darkness. And he remembered a kiss. No, there couldn't have been a kiss. Ginny didn't love him, or even like him anymore. It was all just a crush on his fame. There was no kiss. That was the alcohol playing tricks on him. Ginny probably hadn't even come looking for him, much less found him, which meant that he was still in the back room of the bar.  
  
What had he done? He was the most foolish, selfish idiot in the world. Harry's vision began to focus and he could see a man sitting at a desk. A man with a long white beard. This was not the pub. It was Hogwarts, and he was in a far too familiar room: Dumbledore's office.  
  
And there at the desk was Dumbledore. Dumbledore. Harry's stomach gave a lurch and he knew it wasn't a part of the hangover. Harry had always admired the headmaster and he knew that the old wizard would be disappointed in him. Then an even worse thought struck him.  
  
"Am I…" Harry gulped, "going to be…" Harry stopped and a tear rolled down his cheek. He would trade a million battles with Voldemort just to take back what he had done.  
  
"Expelled?" Dumbledore offered. Tears flooded down Harry's face. He wiped his eyes in a futile attempt. Harry couldn't believe it. He was going to be expelled this time. So many times before he had been able to push the rules, but now he had exceeded his limits. Every year he did something against the rules which was out of bounds but this was the final straw.  
  
What would his friends think of him? Hagrid might let him stay with him, but now that he was removed from the blame of the Chamber of Secrets, even he might not allow him to stay. And Hermione would most definitely never speak to him again. He could hear her voice now: "Harry I can't believe you! Don't say I didn't warn you about this kind of thing. I can't believe I was ever even your friend." The tears burst out again at this and he made another attempt to wipe them.  
  
Sirius' heart would be broken. His Godfather would be the most disappointed in him, feeling as if he had failed his job to teach and protect Harry. After all Sirius had done for Harry, even in the short time he had known him, he would probably never even get to see him again. He could see Sirius' bright and happy face converting into the old "Azkaban" face when he heard the news about Harry.  
  
And what would Ron say? He most likely would be heart broken that his best friend was gone. He had no idea how Ron would react, but it would probably similar to what Hermione would say. He thought of the rest of the Weasleys and how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would most likely never allow him into their house again. Fred and George had done wild things in their days at Hogwart's, but never anything as rash and unreasonable as this. Percy would probably give him a speech before anything else.  
  
And then Harry thought of Ginny. There was no way she would ever love him now. Even if she had loved him in the first place, he had ruined everything between them. As if he hadn't ruined enough of her life he had to go out and do something rash, something which could easily be blamed on her.  
  
Harry's mind had begun to trail off wondering if he could somehow keep his wand and then go battle to the death against Voldemort, trying to make a heroic attempt of his pathetic life. His scar burned as his mind flashed back to the green light hitting his mother.  
  
"No Harry. You are not going to be expelled." Harry's head jerked up which caused the throbbing pain to jam back into his head, but he didn't care. Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it. He shot Dumbledore a questioning look which cost him another shock of pain. "Things like this often happen. In fact, once or twice I myself have gone a little…" but Dumbledore stopped. He didn't seem to want to go any further on the subject. "Naturally you will be given punishments, but not so far as to be expelled."  
  
Harry fell back onto his bed. He was going to stay at Hogwart's. Suddenly Harry heard a yawn. He looked up at Dumbledore only to find that the old man was not yawning, instead staring intently across the room. Harry turned his head to see familiar red hair draped across Ginny's face. "Don't worry Harry. Nothing happened to her." Harry exhaled and turned back to Dumbledore. "I had no clue where you were, but I knew that Miss Weasley, if anyone, could find you. I followed her to you. It was almost as if she knew where you were…" Harry turned back to see that Ginny was beginning to wake. "She was quite upset…"  
  
Ginny yawned again and then wiped her eyes. "Harry!" she screamed out. She dashed over to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Harry! I was so worried, I went and I stole and then I just…" she stopped short. Harry smiled at how quickly she spoke. Ginny stopped speaking for a moment. She had been so worried. Ginny smacked Harry right across the face, then dashed out of the Headmaster's office. Outside, Ginny smiled to herself. She was so happy.  
  
Yet Harry sat shocked and confused, with pain still searing on his cheek. "That girl is an angel," Dumbledore laughed out. "I still have yet to understand the method behind Miss Weasley's madness, but it always amuses me." Harry did not take the same approach of thought that Dumbledore had, instead beginning to worry about what might have happened to Ginny if she had been… well, caught. Voldemort was doing everything he could to try and get at Harry, even the Dursley's had been moved into the wizard world for their own protection, with many protests from Mr. Dursley.  
  
"Now Harry, I believe we have nothing further to discuss. I must take back your invisibility cloak, however, you will be allowed to resume your duties to your Quidditch team whenever you feel ready. And you may keep your Firebolt." Harry was happy for all this, but was still worried about Ginny. He wished that she had slapped him harder. He knew that she could. He deserved worse than that. Harry smiled at the Headmaster, who handed him the listings for his multiple detentions and added tasks. Harry walked out of the room to pursue Ginny, but by the time he had closed the door he changed his mind and decided not to bother her any more.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ginny, in the meantime, had gone to the library where she knew she could find Hermione. Hermione was once again reading over Hogwarts: A History, but was not disturbed to see Ginny enter the room. "Ah Ginny! Over here!" Hermione said too loudly.  
  
"You! Granger, I thought you knew better than to yell in the library," Madame Pince said disappointedly. The look of anxiousness on Ginny's face, however, made Hermione ignore the librarian's concern and motioned to her friend. She slammed the book shut and then recklessly pushed it off the table to clear way for hers and Ginny's hands. This earned Hermione another look from Madame Pince, but she ignored it.  
  
"What happened? Where were you last night?" Hermione asked with concern. Ginny had to laugh at the concern in her friend's voice. It was one of the few voices that ever sounded genuine. "Does it have anything to do with Harry?"  
  
Ginny could hardly stifle another laugh at this, but she chose to contain it and move on. "Well, when Harry left yesterday," Hermione nodded vigorously, a smile widening across her face, "it was kind of because of me. Harry tried to ask me out yesterday." Hermione gasped. "Twice." Hermione gasped again. "After the second rejection that I gave him, I think he got a little upset and kind of just… left."  
  
Hermione looked astonished. "You rejected him? Why? How? I mean, don't you have a huge crush on him?" Hermione's face was a mixture of confusion, amazement and even a little bit of anger. "And so what happened? If I was him I would probably have a broken heart and go out and do something crazy and rash." Ginny nodded. "So what happened?"  
  
"Well, after I rejected him the second time I thought about it a little bit. I don't really know what happened, something just came over me and I decided to go after him and talk to him. I don't really know why, I just felt that I should." Hermione nodded vigorously then motioned with her hand to make Ginny continue. "When I got to the school Ron told me that Harry had taken his Firebolt and just left. Of course I knew the real reasons. I snuck past McGonagall and Dumbledore…"  
  
"You snuck past Dumbledore? How? That is impossible! You're lying aren't you!" Hermione burst out. "Even with an invisibility cloak Dumbledore could see you, how do you explain that?"  
  
"I don't Hermione. He saw me and pretended like he didn't see me. He followed me afterwards I think, he knew I could find Harry and he knew that he couldn't. I don't know how I found him, it was like I could feel his presence, like he was a part of me." Hermione looked dumbstruck. "I found him at a pub in a muggle town. He looked terrible." Ginny stopped and decided not to go any further.  
  
"So… you still do like Harry don't you?" Ginny didn't answer. She herself hadn't quite come up with an answer. It had just been a crush, nothing more. She brushed the topic off her mind and quickly changed the subject. "So you and Ron were all alone without us last night weren't you?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Harry had looked everywhere to Ginny but to no avail. It was like she knew where he was and could avoid him perfectly. After a while of searching, Harry's heart began to pound with desperation to even just see her, and he was gasping for air. What was it about her that he needed so badly? It was obvious that Ginny was beautiful, but there was something more. There was everything more. Everything about Ginny was perfect. The way she could turn anything that came her way into something positive, the way she was so quick on her feet, that fiery temper that matcher her hair.  
  
She moved with such grace that Harry felt as if he might be swept up in her movements. The way her smile illuminated even the darkest rooms. The way she could so easily control and dominate things. She was so sweet and innocent, yet not in a naïve manner. She had experienced evil before and knew the dangers that the world held.  
  
Harry went back to Gryffindor tower to find that she was not there either. After a detailed information to Ron about what had happened, he was shocked to find that Ron did not object to Harry having an "overly strong affection" for Ginny. After a game of chess and some chocolate frogs, Ron headed to bed, while Harry sat on the sofa waiting for Ginny to come back. After a while of waiting, Harry fell asleep, right when Ginny walked in. She smiled at how pathetic he could be the gently placed a blanket over him and headed up to the girls' dorm. 


End file.
